A Life So Changed
by brittany-anderson
Summary: Jack and Rose. Present Time. Nuff said.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I'm gonna take a stab at a present time story! I'm not gonna change anything too drastically from the original story line. Well, except for there being no ship or anything of the sort. But the relationships and the plot line will be pretty similar. I hope you know what I'm trying to say! Lol. **

The early morning sun shone brightly into Rose's lavish room. She was tucked tightly beneath her plush lavender sheets, her fiery red hair sprawled out across her thick pillow, the deep black color of it making the magnificent color of her hair pop. She sighed contently in her sleep, having a pleasant dream. At least in her dream world she could be at peace, away from anxiety, away from stress, away from –

"Rose!" Her mother's authoritative voice came from the other side of the door, rudely waking Rose from her slumber. "Wake up this instant!" Rose grunted and pulled the sheets above her head, begging sleep to come back to her. Impatience soon got the best of Ruth as she angrily walked right into Rose's room, completely dissatisfied to find Rose still in bed.

"Mother, please go away," Rose said, her voice muffled by her pillow.

"Rose you must wake up or you'll be late for you classes!"

"My first class isn't for another hour."

"Exactly! You have to take your time to get ready, don't you? You can't go out in public looking like a mess," Ruth said as she frantically went through Rose's closet. Rose sat up and threw the blankets off of her.

"Okay, I'll get up! Just please, get out of my room!" Her tone of voice took Ruth by surprised as she stood motionless with a dress in her hand.

"Fine but if you're not downstairs in thirty minutes I'm coming right back up here," she said as she walked quickly but gracefully out of the room, closing the door a little too aggressively on her way out.

Rose sighed and swung her legs over the bed, letting them dangle loosely in the air. She was eighteen, yet the way her mother treated her she could've been mistaken for an eight year old. She was a freshman at NYU and had begged her mother to let her live on campus, but Ruth would have none of it.

"_I will not have you living in an old dorm room with male classmates," _she had said. _"You're going to be staying right here, safe at home. Besides, Caledon wouldn't approve of you living in a dorm, anyway."_

Caledon. Just the name made her skin crawl. He was a recent graduate of Harvard but had grown up in Rose's city and their families were acquaintances. He had courted her for years, since she was just a sophomore in high school, but Rose's father strictly told Cal that he had to wait until she was at least seventeen before they could properly date. Rose was actually quite excited at the idea, at first. She was used to getting male attention, very used to it, but the fact that Cal was extremely handsome, older than her, and from a familiar family put her at ease. He had been so sweet to her at the beginning of their relationship; he treated her like a princess. But once they hit their two month anniversary, everything went south. His true colors began to show, and Rose had been extremely taken aback at what kind of person he really was. He was an aggressive, controlling, abusive, pompous piece of work.

She looked over at her night stand and saw her engagement ring shining brightly in the light streaming from her window. She had accepted his proposal, which was done in front of not only her whole family, but also his. She remembered the look in her father's eyes as Cal kneeled in front of her. He was so proud of her, becoming such a wonderful young lady. He loved Cal so much; everybody did. She was the only person who knew his true self. Looking into her father's tearful eyes during Cal's proposal made it impossible to say anything but, _Yes._

…

"There she is," Rose's father, John, said happily as she descended the stairs. "Come sit and have breakfast with me," he said with a cheerful smile. Rose's eyes brightened at the site of her father and she walked toward the dining table.

"John, don't encourage her," Ruth said coldly from the other side of the room. "Rose knows she shouldn't eat in the morning." Rose rolled her eyes and slumped down in the seat across from her father, staring blankly at the empty plate in front of her.

"That's nonsense," he said, "she a growing woman. At least let her have some good protein," he said as he pushed the plate of bacon towards her. She licked her lips unconsciously and reached for a piece, but Ruth hurried over to her and slapped her hand away.

"She has her ball coming up, remember? She should only eat when necessary." Rose grunted and quickly stuffed a piece of bacon into her mouth anyway. "Don't go against my word, young lady," Ruth said angrily.

"My God, mother. Don't get yourself so worked up. You'll give yourself a nose bleed."

"Rose, I will not tolerate this behavior!"

"Ruth, honey," John said as he stood from the table, "she isn't thirteen anymore. She's an eighteen year old young woman who is a student in college. A strait _A _student, at that. I think she's perfectly capable of making her own decisions." Rose smiled at her father's words. Before Ruth could open her mouth to protest, Ralph, Rose's personal driver walked into the room.

"Are you ready, miss? We better head on out to beat the traffic."

"Yes," Rose said as she grabbed for her large purse, "Please get me out of here." They took the elevator from their penthouse all the way down to the bottom of the building. Once they reached the busy New York streets, Rose immediately inhaled the fresh air. She looked around at all of the people running about, looking so full of life. Ralph opened the door of the BMW for Rose and she slipped into the passenger's seat.

"Oh, look!" Rose said as they drove along the streets. She pointed to a large gathering of artists of all kinds; painters, photographers, sculptors. "I forgot that the art festival starts today! Will you take me back over to this side of town when you pick me up from campus?"

"I don't know, Miss. Your mother wouldn't like that very much, I don't think."

"Ralph, please!" She begged. "Look at all that beautiful art work! Its extraordinary. And look at all those people; all different ages, backgrounds, and personalities."

"Only in New York," Ralph said with a smile.

"I love New York," Rose said quietly, "I just wish I could be a part of it. Please say you'll take me." Ralph looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Well, alright. But only for a short time. I can't have you home too late or your mother will surely have a fit."

"When doesn't she have a fit?" She asked sarcastically.

As she continued to stare out the window on her way to NYU, she felt her blackberry vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Cal's name flash across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Sweetpea!" Cal's voice boomed from the other line so loudly Rose had to yank the phone away from her ear. "I just found out that the art festival is happening today downtown, and I know how much you like that silly stuff, so I thought I could take you. What do you say?"

She sighed and leaned her head against the seat. She wanted to go by herself so that she could truly take in and appreciate all of the work. If Cal was with her he would just be commenting on how stupid everything looked, and how he couldn't believe that people fritter their life away making 'finger paintings', as he called them. But if her mother knew she was with Cal, that would mean that she could stay later and see more of the art. She would just have to sacrifice.

"Alright darling, that sounds nice," she said with a fake smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack pushed his way through the growing crowd along the street with his best friend and roommate, Fabrizio, behind him. He protectively clutched his portfolio filled with his drawings and supplies to his chest, looking back at Fabrizio to make sure that he had all of the other supplies they needed still in his hands.

"This crowd gets bigger every year!" Fabrizio said as they continued to push their way, trying to find a decent spot.

"That's a good thing, Fabri. More people to see my stuff."

"And more money!"

Jack laughed at his friend and finally found the perfect spot to set up.

"This should work out fine. Being right in the middle of the action is best, anyway," he said over his shoulder. Fabrizio and Jack quickly set up their spot, putting Jack's drawings on display for all to see.

"I still don't know how you do it," Fabrizio said as he marveled at a drawing of a baby breast feeding from her mother.

"Me either, to be honest," Jack said with a chuckle.

Unlike Fabrizio, Jack wasn't a native New Yorker. He actually came from a very small town in Wisconsin, where he lived with his large family until he was about sixteen. His mother and father had kicked and screamed when he said he was leaving, but he just couldn't be confined to a small town like that any longer. He yearned to see the world and meet new people, and most of all, further his skill of drawing. And he certainly couldn't do that by seeing the same dusty roads in the summer and the same white snow hills every winter. He needed to experience things, he needed to experience _life_. And so he did.

He traveled all around the country, mingling with artists, taking up small, short lived jobs to get him to his next destination. After a year of traveling around the states, he ventured off to Europe where he spent a good amount of his time. He made countless friends, had a couple flings with girls, and saw parts of the world he thought he'd never see. He didn't quite remember how, but he ended up in New York City by the age of 20. He met Fabrizio in a bar and they had been inseparable every since. With each passing day, Jack realized more and more that he had never stayed in the same city for as long as he'd stayed in New York. He didn't exactly know why, but he couldn't quite pull himself away from it; it was as if something were telling him to stay. And here he was, setting up his art on display at the annual art festival, hoping to make a couple bucks.

Jack and Fabrizio laughed and mingled with other artists, telling them stories of specific drawings of his as well as listening intently to their own tales. It was moments like this that Jack lived for.

"Is this your work?" A lady in her forties asked as she leaned down to examine his drawings more closely.

"Yes ma'am," he said with his hands in his jean pockets.

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed, taking a liking to the same drawing Fabrizio had earlier. "What do you use?"

"Just a piece of paper and some charcoal."

"Magnificent," she said as she ran her finger across the rough paper. "How much for this?"

"I can give it to you for ten bucks," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Ten dollars?" She asked as she stood up. "That is way too cheap for such great quality of work. I'll give you forty," she said as she reached into her wallet.

"No ma'am," he said as he held his hands up. "Really, I don't sell my pieces for money. I just want them to be appreciated. Ten bucks will be just fine." She smiled at him and tucked the money back into her wallet, instead, taking out a crisp ten dollar bill.

"Well, here you are then. Thank you very much, you're very talented!"

"No, thank you," he said to her retreating back.

"Jack what the hell is wrong with you," Fabrizio asked as he slapped him on the back. "That broad was gonna give you forty bucks, and instead you take ten? I don't understand you," he said with a shake of his head.

"No one really does," Jack said as he put the money into his pocket.

…

Throughout the day, Jack sold a few more of his drawings to eager customers. He loved seeing the looks of excitement on their faces when they were able to claim his pieces as theirs. He put his hands in his pockets and turned around to see Fabrizio talking with another new friend, it seemed. Jack extended his hand to the new man, who looked to be around his age.

"I'm Tommy Ryan," he said with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Jack Dawson."

"I see you're quite the crowd attractor," he said, pointing to his drawings.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Although he basically sells them for free," Fabrizio said with a roll of his eyes. Jack simply laughed at his friend. Tommy laughed along with them.

"So how much money _do _you make for your drawings?" Tommy asked as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

Jack smiled and was about to answer him, but he saw the most magnificent shade of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the magnetic force and was almost knocked over by what he saw. There was a young girl, around the age of eighteen walking slowly through the crowd. She had the brightest red curls that sat delicately on her head in a bun, with a few strands falling down the side of her face. She took a couple more steps and stopped in front of a painting and examined it carefully. A small smile tugged at her full, red lips as she reached out to touch the canvas. He had honestly never seen anyone so beautiful. Tommy and Fabrizio noticed him staring at this girl, and couldn't help but laugh.

The girl took her eyes from the painting and turned her head to look directly at Jack. He didn't even care that she had caught him staring; he literally couldn't take his eyes off of her. She pulled her eyes away from him and concentrated back on the painting in front of her, but her eyes quickly darted back to him. They held an intense gaze, and Jack was now marveling at the color of her deep green eyes. Her hair color and eye color complimented each other perfectly; an artist's dream of true beauty. Her skin was a milky white and her face held little make up. Was she an angel?

"Ah, forget it, boy-o," Tommy said as he looked at Rose. He took a note of her expensive designer purse that hung from her shoulder as well as her cute little sun dress and _very _high wedge sandals. He could tell not only by her clothes, but also by the way that she carried herself that this was a society girl. "You're more likely to have angels fly out of your ass then getting next to the likes of her."

Jack didn't hear a word he said, he just stayed locked in the gaze with this mystery girl. He was about to take a step towards her, but out of nowhere a man came and grabbed her arm forcefully, making her break her eyes away from his. He watched as this man held onto her arm and said something quite aggressively in her face. He watched as she was visibly uncomfortable, trying to take his grip off of her. Eventually she got out of his grasp and turned to walk away from him, never once looking back at Jack.

"She's gone, you can come back to reality now," Fabrizio said.

Jack shook himself out of his daze and smiled nervously at his friends. "Huh? What?"

"Nothing," Fabrizio said. "Lets all just forget any of that ever happened."

**PLEASE leave a review if you read :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Later That Night

Rose sat on the plush couch in the living room next to her father, sipping a warm cup of tea. They did this every night, just sit and talk in their dimly lit living room.

"Did you enjoy the art festival, darling?" John asked as he took a puff from his cigar.

"It was so amazing," she said, thinking back to all the beautiful pieces of art she came across. "You should've seen it, daddy. There were hundreds of paintings and sculptures as tall as the roof! And all the people were so nice and interesting. It was great to mingle with them for a while."

He smiled at her and leaned back in his chair. "No matter how many pieces of art I buy you, its never enough," he said with a chuckle.

"Well that's because art is always changing and evolving. That's the beauty of it. There's no right or wrong answer for any particular piece." John smiled and reached over to pat her knee.

"Having something you're passionate about is good, Rose," he said. "I still don't understand why you don't take any art classes in college."

"Well, I'm not any good. I'm just an observer."

"I think you can do anything you set your mind to," he said genuinely. "You're a smart and vibrant young lady. And even though you could easily rely on your beauty to get your through life, it would be a shame to let that magnificent fire in you burn out. Use it."

Rose looked up at her father admiringly and hugged him tightly. "Only you understand me, daddy."

…

Rose laid in bed that night, looking out her window at the city. Everytime she closed her eyes she would see that handsome boy's face. His eyes were the bluest she had ever seen, and they penetrated her to the very core. Was he an artist, or an observer? She hadn't really gotten the chance to notice, but she had a feeling that he was an artist. She could just tell by his demeanor. Oh, how she wished she wasn't tied down to Cal and her society life. The boy from earlier today looked so happy; so free. She wished she could feel like that. His skin was dark from the sun, his cheeks flushed and full of life. When she thought of herself, all she saw and felt was icy coldness.

She closed her eyes and sighed to herself. It was something she would have to learn to accept, sooner or later. Perhaps her dreams of being carefree and adventurous were just that; silly dreams. For some reason, she was born into this kind of life, although she felt she shouldn't have been. At least she had her father to keep her sane. At least he was there to keep her going.

…

Rose awoke the next morning, not from her alarm and not from her mother's shrill voice, but from a sickening feeling in her stomach. Her eyes shot open and she sat up slowly in bed. She immediately felt panicked and an eerie silence seemed to seep through the walls. Something was wrong, she just knew something was wrong.

She hopped out of bed, letting her bare feet touch the cold floor. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and opened her bedroom door, peering out into the hallway. She looked from her left and then to her right, trying to find the source of this awful feeling. She clicked the door shut behind her and stood in silence for a moment; waiting.

And then she heard it.

Her mother's high pitched scream coming from down the hallway. She immediately ran towards her mother's room, where the screams were still coming. The maids joined Rose in her dash for the bedroom. She swung open her parent's bedroom door and immediately became breathless.

Her mother was standing above her father, crying, She never saw her mother cry. Her father lay motionless in bed, looking peaceful.

"What's wrong?" One of the maids asked. Ruth whipped her head around and gave another shrill cry.

"Somebody call an ambulance! He's not breathing!"

The maid bolted out of the room and ran for the phone. Rose looked at her mother, although she couldn't even see her through all the tears.

"What do you mean he's not breathing?" Rose asked, not being able to move one inch from her position.

"He's had a heart attack, I just know it!" Ruth cried. "The doctors told him that if he didn't get healthy that it was inevitable that he would have one!"

"Heart attack?"

"He's dead, Rose. He's gone and left us with absolutely nothing!"

"Dead?" Rose said in a whisper. And then, everything went black.

…

Later That Night

"Rose, snap out of it," Ruth said sternly as she walked into Rose's room. She had been in her room all day, after she had recovered from fainting. She sat on the ledge of her window, looking down at the city lights. Her eyes were no longer wet; she literally couldn't cry anymore.

Her father was gone. Her rock, her other half, her only true friend in life was gone. She couldn't believe it. Just twenty four hours ago they were sitting together, laughing and talking like only they could, and now…now she would never see him again. She was officially alone.

"My father just died, how can I snap out of it?" Rose asked in a hushed voice.

"We must move on, we must pick up the pieces and be strong women. If we don't, all of New York society will be judging us."

Rose whipped her head around and glared at her mother. "Your husband of twenty years just died and you're worried about what people will think of you?"

"Rose stop being so mellow-dramatic. Your father was warned by the doctor that this would come if he didn't take better care of himself, and he didn't listen."

"How could you be so cruel?" Rose asked in disbelief.

"Rose, your father is not the saint you thought he was," Ruth said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I think its time you know some things about your father."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked as she turned her attention back towards the window.

"Your father had problems, many problems. Mainly with addiction."

"Addiction? Daddy wasn't an alcoholic."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Rose. With gambling. For the past ten years, he's wasted away our fortune by spending and gambling it all away, never once thinking about us; about you. He never once thought about your future every time he bet his money. He never once thought about your well being when he threw thousands of dollars down. And now Rose, we're left with nothing but bad debt hidden by a good name, and that name is the only card we have to play."

Rose stared at her mother in disbelief; the tears she thought she couldn't physically cry anymore suddenly resurfacing. "W-what?"

"I said, our name is the only card we have to play," she repeated. "Which is why the match with the Hockley's is so important. Your father knew that we had no more money when you started seeing Cal, which is why he was so fond of him."

"You're lying!" Rose said as she stood up. "My father wouldn't marry me off like that!"

"But you're wrong, Rose. It's a fine match with Hockley, it will ensure our survival."

"I can't believe this," she said as she put her hand to her forehead. "You saw me as a meal ticket, as a fucking mail order bride! Well I won't stand for it, I wont!" Rose screamed. She began to feel light headed, all of the emotions she was feeling making her become weak and frazzled.

"Rose, stop this behavior!"

Rose didn't hear a word her mother said, because she was already out the door, running as fast and as far as she could.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack walked along the side of the Brooklyn bridge, taking in the salty scent of the water below. It was relatively late at night, and only a few cars were on the road. He tucked his hands into his pockets and let the air whip through his hair. It was a successful day at the art festival, and he was able to rank in close to one hundred dollars. He still found it hard to believe that people actually liked his work, sometimes. He leaned his elbows against the side of the bridge and looked down. His stomach turned just by the site of the long fall down, and he decided to turn his attention towards the night sky instead.

He was zoned out, alone in his thoughts when he heard strong, frantic footsteps coming toward him. He turned to his right and saw a girl running quickly towards him, and she flew right by him without even realizing he was there. She ran so fast that he didn't get a good look at her face; but that hair. That hair was unmistakable. He watched as she stopped in the middle of the bridge and reach her shaky hands out to the rail. He took a couple steps in her direction, but froze when he saw that she was climbing over the railing. _Holy shit_, he thought. _She's gonna jump!_

He walked quickly but cautiously over to her, approaching her from the back. He didn't want to startle her and make her loose her balance. Finally, he got close enough to her.

"Don't do it," he said, his voice soft yet urgent.

She whipped her head around and locked eyes with him. His heart stopped. Just as he had suspected, this was the same girl that he saw earlier. The same girl with the captivating beauty, but sad eyes. Her red curls were blowing in the wind and she had mascara running down her face. He noticed that she was shivering under the chilly night air, and that she wasn't even wearing a coat.

"Stay back. Don't come any closer," she said, a tear falling from her face. "I mean it. I'll let go," she threatened as she turned back towards the water. He took a couple more cautious steps toward her.

"No you won't," he said. She turned her head to look at him with an annoyed expression.

"What do you mean, no I won't?" She demanded. "Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do; you don't know me!" _Woah_, he thought. _There's some anger in this one._

"Well, you would've done it already," he said, challenging her right back.

"Ugh, you're distracting me, _go away_," she said.

"I can't," he said simply. "I'm too involved now. You jump and I'm gonna have to jump in there after you."

"Don't be stupid. You'll be killed."

"I'm a good swimmer."

"The fall alone would kill you."

"It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't. To tell you the truth, I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold." He watched as she leaned forward and looked down at the water below her. Her saw her body shiver, and he knew it wasn't from the cold air.

"How cold?"

"Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over. You ever been to Wisconsin?" She looked at him confused, and looked over his appearance and body language. He certainly looked like someone who would be from Wisconsin. Laid back and easy going. He definitely didn't look like someone from the city.

"What?"

"When I was a kid, my father used to take me ice fishing out at Lake Wissota. Ice fishing is, you know, when-"

"I know what ice fishing is, idiot! Ugh!" He put his hands up in defeat but couldn't help but crack a smile at her fire.

"Sorry. You just, seem like kind of an indoor girl," he said, taking in her expensive looking clothes. He knew when he saw her yesterday that she had money. "But anyway, I fell through some thin ice. And I'm telling you, water that cold, like right down there-it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think. At least not about anything but the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you," he said as he took off his coat and threw on the ground. A car whizzed by quickly and blasted them with a gush of air. "Which is why I'm hoping you'll come over the rail and get me off the hook here," he said as he leaned forward. The wind brought her scent to him, and she smelled like roses.

"You're crazy," she said as she turned back towards the water.

"Well, that's what everybody says. But with all due respect, miss, I'm not the one hanging off of the fuckin' Brooklyn Bridge." He reached his hand out to her, carefully, making sure not to startle her. "Come on, give me your hand. You don't want to do this.

She looked down at his hand and felt the heat radiating from it. She felt a comfortable warmth coming from him without even touching him or even being that close to him. She realized that, no, she didn't really want to do this, and she reached for his hand. He gripped her small, delicate hand tightly and slowly brought her around to face him. Their eyes locked, and they stared at each other, speechless, for a couple of moments.

_It _is _him,_ she thought to herself. _My God, those eyes._

He gave her a relieved smile and took both of her hands in his.

"I'm Jack Dawson."

"Rose Dewitt Bukater," she said after finding what little breath she had.

_Rose. Not only does she smell like roses and her hair is the color of a fully bloomed rose, but its also her name. This girl is…amazing. But holy shit, what a moniker. Now I _know _she's from an important family. _

"Uh, I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down," he said, making her laugh. He marveled at her beautiful smile and gently put his hands on her curved hips as she put her hands on his broad shoulders. "Come on, I'll help you over," he said. She put all her trust in him as he brought her over the rail until she landed safely on the other side.

"There," he said as he took a step away from her, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. She looked down and nervously tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Thanks," she said shyly. He was about to open his mouth to speak again, but a car came by them and came to a screeching halt, causing them to jump backwards. It was an expensive car, a BMW from what Jack could see, and a man stepped out of the drivers seat with a worried expression on his face.

"Rose what the hell are you doing out here? We've been looking for you forever!"

Jack turned his gaze to Rose, wondering who this man is and how they were acquainted. He saw her roll her eyes at him before responding.

"I'm fine, Cal, can't I just be alone without either of you worrying about what I'm doing?"

"You don't appear to be very _alone_," Cal said as he eyes landed on Jack. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Uh-"

"I just passed him by as I was walking along the bridge and he's been helping me with my grief," she said. "I'm having a very difficult time with all of this, if you can imagine."

Cal's expression didn't change at all at the mention of her deceased father. "Just get in the car," he said sternly. "I need to take you home before your mother screams my ear off."

Rose gave Jack an apologetic look, and mouthed _thank you _before getting into the car. And just as quickly as she had stepped into Jack's life, she stepped out.

**Please review. It really helps!**

**p.s. look at this video I found! Perfect for those of us who can't accept that Jack died. Take a look, its really cool: .com/watch?v=Y2B8g5z2s_s**

**I'm referring to the first minute of the video. I'm really not a fan of titanic/revolutionary road mash ups.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello loyal readers! Back with another chapter. I want to thank those of you who are reviewing this story, it means so much to me. So I hope you enjoy this chapter, its nice and long! And please leave a review for me, it really really makes my day and motivates me to write. Happy reading! :)**

Rose sat at the edge of her window, overlooking the deserted streets below her. She had almost killed herself just barely an hour earlier, but she was numb to any emotion. As many times as her mother had told her to 'move on from it' since she'd been home, the only thing she was able to do was glance up towards the starry sky every now and then, and wonder if her father was looking down on her.

There was a soft knock on her door, breaking her from her trance. She heard the door open, even though she hadn't allowed any permission for them to enter. She glanced behind her and saw Cal standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the wall. Once she noticed it was him, she turned her attention back towards the window, not wanting anything to do with him or her mother at this point.

"I know you've been melancholy all day," he says softly. "And I do understand why." He stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him. "I was going to wait to present you with this until the engagement party in a few days, but I thought that tonight would be best," he said as he sat next to her.

She glanced down at the velvet blue box that he held in his hand. She immediately knew it was a necklace of some sort form the shape and size of the box. _Great, _she thought, _another meaningless piece of jewelry. _She watched as he opened the box to reveal the biggest, most extravagant diamond she had ever seen lying innocently on top of soft satin material.

"Oh my God," she said in amazement as her eyes took in the blindingly beautiful, rich blue color of the…

"Is it a-"

"Diamond? Yes," he said with a satisfied smile as he took it from its casing. He threw it around her neck and clicked it closed so that it sat delicately along her collarbone. She felt the icy coldness of the chain suffocating her neck and the weight of the diamond press down against her chest. She struggled to breathe. She tried to reach up to touch it, but as soon as she felt how cold it was, she pulled her hand away.

"Its overwhelming," she said lamely.

"Well its for royalty," he said as he looked down at her. "We _are _royalty, Rose."

She felt her stomach churn at these words. _We are not royalty, we are simple human beings, _she thought to herself. _What the hell makes you think you're so damn special?_

"You know there's nothing I couldn't give you," he said as he sat back down next to her. "There's nothing I'd deny you; if you would not deny me. Open your heart to me, Rose."

She looked into his eyes and tried to find any sort of sincerity or kindness, but she couldn't. His eyes were just as cold as the diamond that sat upon her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt the grip he had on her arm become tighter and tighter the longer she was silent.

"I'm very tired, Cal," she said with a shaky voice. "Please, let me rest."

….

Rose had arrived to campus promptly with her school books tucked tightly into her very large Coach purse. She waved goodbye to Ralph and waved as the car grew further and further away in the distance. Once she decided it safe, she hailed a yellow cab and hopped into the back seat.

"Hello, Miss," the cab driver said in a thick accent. "Where can I take you?"

"To the festival on fourth avenue, please," she said with a polite smile.

Rose had never in her life skipped school before. Sure, she had wanted to many times, but she was always so focused on being more than just a pretty face and actually doing well in school. But now that she was in college, and studying something completely irrelevant to her life, her passion was starting to dwindle. And there was something, or more so, _someone _that was plaguing her mind.

….

"Another day another dollar," Jack said to a very sleepy Fabrizio as he set up his drawings.

"Yeah, but I still don't know why you insisted on coming so damn early today," Fabrizio said as he sipped from his cheap cup of black coffee.

"I thought we went through this, Fabri. If we're here twice as long as yesterday, then we make twice as much money. And I promised that if you helped me today I'd split the profit with you."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say," he responded as he pulled his hat lower to shield his droopy eyes.

"Hey there, boy-o," Tommy said as he approached them. "I knew I could find you fellas here."

"Morning Tommy," Jack said with a smile. "You're just in time for breakfast," he said as he lit up his cigarette.

"Way ahead of you," Tommy replied as he showed him his half smoked cigarette dangling from his thin lips. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Fabrizio, who was trying his best to keep his eyes open. "You guys do anything interesting last night?"

"Uh, no, not really," Jack said casually, never taking his focus off of what he was doing. "Just same old stuff. What about you?"

"You'll never believe it," Tommy said as he leaned forward into his chair and stubbed out his cigarette on the pavement. "I met _the _hottest girl last night at that bar down the street. She was somethin' else, let me tell ya-"

"Hello, mister Dawson."

Jack immediately broke his focus from Tommy when he heard the familiar voice. He whipped his head around and came face to face with the girl from last night. _Rose. _

"Oh, uh, hey. Hello again," he stuttered. "Its nice to see you."

"You too," she said shyly. She looked over his shoulder and saw that his companions were eyeing her quite suspiciously. "Hello," she said politely nodding towards them.

"Oh uh, these are my friends, Tommy and Fabrizio," he said, trying his best to ignore his friend's curious and desiring gazes towards Rose. "Guys, this is Rose."

They looked at her in awe, not believe that this was really the girl that Jack was so hypnotized by yesterday. She was even more beautiful close up.

"Nice to meet you," Tommy said with a lopsided grin.

"Mister Dawson could I speak with you for a moment in private?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Sure, of course," he said eagerly as he glanced around him, trying to find a decent place. He spotted a bench beneath a tree off in the distance and decided to guide her over there. As they walked, she decided to be the first to speak up.

"Mister Dawson I-"

"Jack. I've never had anyone address me as Mister," he said with an easy smile.

"My apologies. Jack, I wanted to thank you for what you did. Not just for helping me back over but, for actually giving a damn to stop me."

"You're welcome," he said as they took their seats on the wooden bench. He watched as she nervously played with the handles of her leather purse.

"Look, I know what you must be thinking," she said timidly, "poor little rich girl, what does she know about misery?"

"No, that's not what I was thinking," he said as he leaned back against the bench. "What I was thinking was – what could've happened to this girl to make her think she had no way out?"

She glanced at him quickly, but the intensity in this blue eyes made her blush and immediately look away.

"Well I – it was everything. It was my whole world and all the people in it. And the direction of my life, just plunging ahead and I have no power or say over it."

He glanced down at her hands and noticed the enormous diamond that adorned her left hand. That's when he realized that the guy from last night must've been her husband. _Husband? But she's so damn young, _he thought. She noticed him looking at her engagement ring and self consciously hid it beneath her other hand. _He must think I'm some money hungry, selfish, materialistic bimbo. _

"The engagement party is tomorrow night," she said aloud as she got lost in thought. "I'll probably only know five people there, and all the others will be stuck up old steel tycoons that know nothing about me. My cotillion is next month," she said as she glanced over at him, and realized that he had no idea what that was. "I have to be confined to some ridiculous ball gown with jewels thrown on any part of exposed area of skin like I'm some kind of fucking clothes hanger just to announce that I'm of marrying age. Its so ridiculous, its like we're living in the nineteen hundreds or something. And then the wedding is a month after that," she said quietly as tears came to her eyes. "Five hundred invitations have gone out. All of New York society will be there. And all the while I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even looks up."

He was completely speechless by everything she just said. If he was in her shoes, he would want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, too.

"Ugh I sound so ridiculous," she said. "Just rambling on about complete nonsense when you don't even know me."

"No, its alright. Its good to talk and get your feelings out. I have a feeling that you don't do that enough."

"No," she said quietly.

"Do you even love this guy?" Jack asked candidly.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you love him? It seems to me like you don't."

She was taken aback by his brashness and her defense mechanisms immediately went up.

"Well that was very rude. You don't know if I do or not, and you definitely shouldn't be asking me."

"It's a simple question," he said with a smirk. "Do you love the guy or not?"

"This is not a normal conversation that strangers have. Its none of your business."

"Why can't you just answer the question?"

"Because! You don't know me and I don't know you and we are not having this conversation at all."

"Uh-"

"Listen, Jack, I just came here to thank you, and I have, so I should go now." She said this, yet she didn't move from her spot on the bench. She was just being difficult for the sake of being difficult, and somehow, he knew this.

"Thought you were leaving," he said as he grinned at her.

"Ugh, I am. You are so annoying," she said as she stood up to leave. He laughed at her and watched as she began to walk away, but she quickly turned back around.

"Wipe that damn smile off of your face like you're so proud of yourself. You think you've gotten to me, but you haven't!"

Even through the aggression in her words, he could still see the playfulness shining in her emerald green eyes. He knew she wasn't actually leaving. He didn't know how he knew; he just did.

"I think I may have," he said back.

He watched in satisfaction as she grunted in frustration and smiled in spite of herself. _She's adorable._

"What is this stupid thing you're carrying around," she said as she reached for his portfolio that sat next to him on the bench. She opened it and was unable to hide her shock as she saw a beautiful drawing. She glanced back behind her towards where him and his friends were standing and realized that he was selling his art. Her heart skipped a beat. "So you're an artist."

He simply nodded. She continued to flip through his portfolio and sat back down on the bench next to him.

"Well, these are pretty good. There _very _good actually. Jack, this is excellent work!"

"Thanks," he said casually. "But they didn't think much of them in Paris."

"Paris? You've been to Paris?"

"Mmhm."

"Wow."

…..

Hours had gone by since Jack and Rose had first started up their conversation. They had strolled through the streets of New York, looking at all of the other artists creations. They shared stories of their lives as they walked along, and both of them had more laughs together than they could even remember.

Rose glanced down at her watch and noticed that she had to be getting back to campus in time for Ralph to pick her up.

"I should really be going," she said, her voice soft with disappointment.

"Oh…alright." He was also unable to hide his displeasure with this.

She nervously glanced down at her shoes before looking back up into his crystal blue eyes.

"Listen, um, my engagement party is tomorrow night. Would you like to come? You can bring one of your friends if you'd like. I know it probably sounds really boring and you most likely don't want to come and be stuck around so many awful-"

"Rose," he said, cutting her off. "I'd love to come. If it meant getting another chance to see you, I'd go anywhere."

She felt her delicate white cheeks become flushed and red. She tried her best to keep her smile small, but she failed and she broke into a full on grin.

"Great! Here, let me write down the address for you," she said as she reached into her purse and grabbed a pen and paper. She scribbled down the address and the time and handed the paper to him. He smiled gratefully and put it into his pocket.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked shyly.

"Count on it."


	6. Chapter 6

**Loyal readers! :) I'm so sorry its taken so damn long for me to update, but my brain has been so tired. And I would hate to force myself to write and have it come out like crap instead of taking my time on it. Quality over quantity, I say! So finally, here's a new chapter.**

**And for those of you who read my other Titanic stories, I **_**will **_**be updating those in the next couple of days. Don't worry, I have not abandoned them. I will get around to them much sooner rather than later!**

"Rose, darling," Cal said in a stern whisper, "at least _pretend _like you're enjoying yourself. Most of these people do business with my family, and we wouldn't want to leave a bad impression now, would we?"

Rose rolled her eyes and put on a fake smile. "No. Of course not."

"Good."

It was the night of Rose and Cal's engagement party, the night that she had been dreading. Her large penthouse apartment was completely filled with people, making the air even more suffocating that it already was. Everywhere she turned she saw either men in suits, or women in elaborate dresses and diamonds dripping from their ear lobes. And yet, she didn't recognize more than five of them.

She sighed and glanced at the clock. _7:00_. It had only been thirty minutes since the party had started, but to Rose it felt like she had been standing there for hours upon hours. And the worst part hadn't even started yet. They would be seated for dinner in about ten minutes. Rose hated large dinners like this one. It left her in the middle of mindless, selfish, egotistical conversation.

"I'm just going to go freshen up a bit," she said in Cal's ear.

"Don't be too long, sweetpea. There are many people here that want to meet you."

She didn't respond to him as she made her way quickly, yet gracefully through the room, making sure not to bump into anyone or draw any major attention to herself. Once she made it to the staircase, she bolted up to her room as fast as she could to get a moment to herself.

She walked over to her large mirror and surveyed herself. Her hair was up in a bun, which wasn't unusual for her. Most of the time she did wear her hair in a bun, but it was usually a casual bun with loose curls falling into her face. Tonight her hair was tight and calculated, and the pins that were being used to hold it in place were causing her head so much pain. She grimaced at the amount of make up that was on her face, and especially detested the deep red color that adorned her lips. She always knew she was blessed to have such full, soft, pink lips and she hated covering their natural beauty with such a harsh color. But Ruth had insisted that it was the right color to compliment the dress she was wearing. The dress was a deep red color with intricate black beading on it and it hugged tightly to her body, showing off every curve. She felt so exploited, as if she were being put on display like a piece of jewelry up for auction. It disgusted her.

She walked over to her window and looked out into the New York skyline. She imagined all of the free spirited people running around, enjoying their evening, doing whatever they wanted. She thought about all of the people just getting off of work and wondered how great it must feel to actually _do something _throughout their day. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, keeping the tears of frustration at bay.

_Oh Jack, please show up soon. Make this night at least a little bit enjoyable._

….

"I thought you said we were going to a party?" Fabrizio asked as they stood in the kitchen or their small two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.

"We are," Jack replied simply.

"Then what the hell is this for?" Fabrizio asked, holding up the suit that Jack handed him. "What kind of party are we going to that I have to wear a suit?"

Jack sighed and gave him a pleading look. "Its in the _better _area of the city, if you know what I mean. Listen Fabri, just humor me, okay? I really like this girl and if this is the kind of shit I have to do to see her, then so be it."

"Wait, this is for a girl? That red head that we saw at the festival?"

"Yeah."

"Well now it makes sense. I saw those earrings she had on yesterday. Must've cost a fortune. What's the occasion, anyway?"

"Its her engagement party," Jack said without any emotion.

"She's engaged? She's a little young, isn't she?"

"What's with all the questions, Fabri? Would you just put the suit on so we can go?"

"Alright, alright," he said, putting his hands up in defeat.

"This is it," Jack said as they walked up to the very upscale apartment complex. They approached the doorman and showed him the piece of paper that Rose had handed him the day before. "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to this room?"

The man took the paper from him and looked it over. "Ah, yes. The penthouse. Just take the elevator to they very top."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, sir."

Fabrizio let out a low whistle as they walked into the building.

"Penthouse suite on the top floor, eh? I know this may come as a shock to you Jack, but I think the girl is outta your league."

"Just shut up, will ya?" Jack said impatiently as they waited for the elevator. "Lets just act like we're supposed to fit in, and hopefully nobody will notice that we're slums."

Rose finally gained the courage to walk back downstairs after regaining her composure. When she reached the middle of the staircase, she saw the front door open, and in walked a very dapper looking Jack with his equally handsome friend in tow. The mere sight of him made her stop in her tracks. His usually loose blond hair was slicked back, and he was in a perfectly tailored suit. She watched as his eyes scanned the room and as him and his friend smiled nervously as passersby. She smiled to herself when she saw them awkwardly exchange hellos with Cal's father.

Finally, Jack's eyes landed on her. He felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw her staring at him. He was mesmerized by her as she slowly began to descend the stairs, keeping her gaze completely locked on him. He finally found some strength in his legs and took a few steps forward to meet her at the bottom of the stair case. He was in awe of the way the dress she was wearing fit her body like a glove and how the color complimented her milky white skin. Jack was never a fan of women who wear too much make up, he was more of a natural look kind of guy, but as he looked over Rose's face, he couldn't help but appreciate how her face handled the dark make up she had on beautifully. He was sure she was an angel.

Once they met, he took her right hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing her smooth, warm skin. Their eyes stayed glued on each other the whole time.

"I saw that in a cartoon once and I always wanted to do it," Jack said with a small laugh. His heard skipped a beat when she smiled widely and laughed at his remark. He offered her his arm and she gladly accepted it.

"You remember Fabrizio from yesterday, right?" Jack asked.

"How could I forget?" Rose said with a smile.

"Nice to see you again," Fabrizio said with a courteous nod. "This is uh…this is quite the place you got here."

"Oh, thanks," Rose said shyly. "It's a little too much for my taste, if I'm honest."

"Sweetpea," Cal said as he approached the small group, "Care to introduce me to your friends?" The cold stare that Cal was giving Jack didn't go unnoticed by any of them, and it was evident in the way he was looking at Jack that he recognized him from the night that Rose had attempted suicide.

"Yes, darling, these are my friends Jack and Fabrizio."

Jack paid special attention to the change in Rose's speech and posture, and also noticed how timid and cold she became in the presence of Cal. He knew immediately that this Cal character didn't know the _real _Rose, and that in the short time that he had known her, that he was lucky enough to know the real her.

"Nice to meet you," Cal said with an emotionless voice.

"Hello, welcome to my home," Ruth said as she pushed her way into the circle. She offered her hand and exchanged hellos with both Jack and Fabrizio. "Rose how do you know these lovely gentlemen?" To anyone else, it would seem as if Ruth was being kind and courteous to these young men, but to Rose, she knew that there was an underlying distain and sarcasm in her words.

"Well, mother, I met Jack here a couple days ago. He helped me an incredible amount when I was distraught about daddy, so I thought it would be a nice way to thank him by inviting him to dinner. And this is his roommate, Fabrizio."

"Oh, well just lovely. Dinner will be served shortly gentlemen. I hope you enjoy." Ruth shot Rose a death glare before running back to mingle in the crowd.

"So tell us about the conditions in Brooklyn, mister Dawson," Ruth said from across the table. "I hear its getting better each year."

"Yes ma'am, it is," Jack replied as he put his napkin onto his lap. "But I haven't been here long. Fabrizio has been here his whole life."

"This year is the best its been ma'am," Fabrizio said, "hardly any rats."

The table let out a low chuckle and continued on with their food.

"These two gentlemen are from Brooklyn," Cal said, glaring down at them. "Jack was of some assistance to my fiancé a couple nights ago."

"It turns out that mister Dawson is quite a fine artist," Rose said as she toyed with her wine glass, "he was kind enough to show me some of his work."

"Rose and I differ in our definition of fine art. Not to insult your work, sir," Cal said.

"Not at all."

"You said you haven't been here long," Ruth pressed, "where are you from?"

"Well I'm originally from Wisconsin. But I've traveled all over the country as well as Europe. I've only been here for about a year or so."

"And how is it you have means to travel?"

"I work my way from place to place, just taking small jobs to get me enough money to the next city. I've liked it enough here to stay a while, though."

"And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?"

Rose gave her mother a stern glare and turned towards Jack, smiling at him apologetically.

"Well, yes ma'am, I do. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing who I'm gonna meet," he said, his eyes locking with Rose's, "or where I'm gonna wind up. Just last night we were eating Chinese take out and now, here we are, in some penthouse suite having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You learn to take life as it comes as you. To make each day count."

Rose studied his face carefully as she took in his words. They stared at each other with slight smiles on their faces until someone from the group spoke up.

"Well said, Jack."

"Here, here."

Rose, keeping her eyes focused on Jack's, lifted her glass into the air. "To making it count."

"To make it count."

"Thank you so much for coming, Fabrizio," Rose said gratefully as she walked him to the front door of the apartment. "I know it was drab and tedious, but I really enjoyed your company."

"Hey, its just something I can check off my list," he said with a smile. "Thank you for having us. And I hope to see you very soon."

"I'm sure you will."

Fabrizio leaned down and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek and walked down the hallway, leaving Jack and Rose alone.

"Jack, do you have to go?" She asked him with sad eyes.

"Time for me to go row with the other slaves," he said with a smile. She chuckled and unconsciously leaned in closer to him.

Jack glanced back into the apartment and grimaced at the site. He knew that Rose wanted nothing to do with that whole scene, and he didn't want to leave her quite yet. He barely got to even see her that much throughout the evening. They were really only able to exchange glances over the dinner table or across the crowded room.

"So," he said as he cleared his throat and look down at her sparkling emerald eyes, "do you wanna go to a real party?"

**Please take the short time to click the 'review' button. It makes the author's day! :) Until next time. xo**


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you wanna go to a _real _party?"

A smile came upon Rose's lips and she nervously played with the beading of her dress.

"I can't leave," she said sadly.

"And why not?" Jack asked as he casually leaned against the doorframe, looking down at her with his icy blue eyes. Rose opened her mouth to give an explanation, but she didn't have one. She had never taken any risks in her life or really had that much fun. It was never too late to start.

"Well, alright," she said in a whisper, nervously looking back into the apartment to make sure that her mother or Cal wasn't lurking by somewhere. "But only for a little while."

Jack chuckled and gently took her hand in his. "Come on. Don't even think about it, just come with us."

She nodded and slipped out of the door and into the hallway, closing it as carefully as she could. She giggled as they started jogging down the hallway to the elevator where Fabrizio was waiting. He raised his eyes brows questioningly when he saw the two of them.

"She's coming with us," Jack said.

"Alright Rose!" Fabrizio said as he high fived her. "We'll show you what a _real_ good time is!"

They stepped into the elevator and pushed the button that would descend them twenty stories. "Does anybody have a knife or something?" Rose asked.

"I have a pocket knife," Fabri said as he took it out and skeptically handed it over to her.

"Don't worry," she said as she took it. She bent over and measured the length she wanted to make her dress. It was a long dress, and was way too fancy to go out with. She took the knife and carefully cut into the fabric in one swift motion. The dress length now sat mid thigh, revealing her milky white legs. She then took the sleeves off so that it just covered her shoulder. Jack cleared his throat nervously and tried to look away from her newly exposed body parts.

"There, much better," she said as she stood up and threw the unwanted fabric in the corner of the elevator. Jack and Fabrizio smiled at her and took their jackets off and rolling their sleeves up.

Once they made it onto the street, Jack expertly hailed a taxi. "Oh how exciting!" Rose said as it pulled up in front of them. "I've never been in a taxi before."

"What?" Fabrizio and Jack said in unison, unable to hide their shock. "You've lived in New York your whole life, but have never been in a taxi?"

"Well, no," she said shyly.

"Get in," Jack said as he opened the door for her. "There's a lot of things we gotta show you about New York life."

….

Jack and Fabri had taken Rose to their neighborhood, to a party held by one of their friends in a neighboring complex. Rose was amazed at how happy and full of life everyone was. There were people dancing, people playing cards, and a group of guys playing Beer Pong. Rose was happily sitting in a group of people who were eagerly asking her about her posh, Manhattan life style.

"I bet your family buys the best liquor in the world," a red head guy said.

"Who cares about liquor, look at her earrings," a girl said as she reached out to admiringly touch Rose's ear lobes. Rose laughed and smiled at the group.

"I'd readily trade any of you lives. Its really not all its cracked up to be."

"I'll trade you!" The girl said, causing the group to laugh.

Rose felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Jack smiling down at her. His hair had fallen into his eyes throughout the evening and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. She unconsciously licked her lips while admiring his beauty.

"You want a drink or something?" He asked.

"Yeah!" She said as she stood up. He took her hand and lead her through the crowded room over to the kitchen area.

"What do you want?"

"Um, I don't know," she said as she looked over the dozens of different kinds of bottles that adorned the counter top. She never knew she could feel so intimidated by a liquid. Jack knew that Rose had probably never drank anything but a little bit of champagne or wine her whole life, so he opted out of giving her anything hard. He cracked open a bottle of beer and handed it to her. She smiled at him gratefully and started chugging it down, not realizing how thirsty she was until now. Jack stared at her in amazement as she almost finished the whole bottle in one drink.

"What?" She asked with sparkling eyes. "You think an upper east side girl can't drink?" They shared a laugh as a drunken guy came stumbling over to Rose and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey baby, what's your name?" He said into her ear. Jack put his beer down and grabbed the guy roughly by the arm and pulled him away from her.

"Get the fuck out of here," he said angrily as he pushed the guy away, watching him stumble. "Are you alright?" He turned back to Rose to discover that she was laughing hysterically.

"I'm fine," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

A loud noise came from behind them and they turned to see the group of card players, that included Tommy, to be fighting about the game. She laughed at their macho-ness and walked over to the group. She took the cigarette from Tommy's lips and took a puff.

"So," she said over the loud music, "You think you're big tough men? Let's see you do this," she said as she removed her red designer pumps and handed them to Jack. "Hold these for me, Jack," she said. The guys all looked at her curiously as she took a step back and took a ballet position. They watched in awe as she slowly rose onto the balls of her feet before finally resting all her weight on her delicate toes. Their mouths hung open in amazement as she held the pose for several seconds before letting out a grunt and falling into Jack's arms.

"God damn!" Tommy said as the other guys clapped in amazement.

"You okay?" Jack asked as he laughed.

"I haven't done that in years!" She said as she continued to laugh and enjoyed being in Jack's arms.

….

Rose had stayed at the party way longer than she had originally anticipated. It was now close to three in the morning as she and Jack walked down the streets of New York, slowly making their way towards her side of town. They walked side by side, she with Jack's coat around her shoulders. They were laughing and making jokes, completely oblivious to the world around them. Well, until they finally made it to Rose's apartment. She stopped in her tracks and her heart sank when she saw that they were right in front of her building. She turned towards Jack and smiled at him sadly before giving his jacket back.

"Well, here we are," she said sadly.

"Alright," he said in an even voice. He was trying to keep the look of disappointment off his face, but it wasn't working so well. He watched as Rose's gaze turned towards the night sky.

"I don't wanna go back," she said honestly. "Look," she said in a whisper. "There's so many stars out tonight."

"Oh wow," he said. "You hardly ever see the stars in the city."

"Its so vast and endless," she said in wonder as she sat on the street curb. He followed her and sat down next to her. "My crowd thinks they're giants. They're not even dust in God's eye." He watched her closely as her eyes continued to scan the stars.

"You know, there's been a mistake," he said, causing her to look at him curiously. "You're not one of them. You got mailed the wrong address!"

"I did, didn't I?" She said with a genuine smile. "Oh look! A shooting star!" She said as she pointed to the sky.

"That was a long one! You know, my dad used to tell me that whenever you saw one, it was a soul going to heaven."

"Aw, I like that," she said. "Aren't we supposed to wish on it?"

He turned his gaze back to her, and when she felt his eyes on her, she looked down at him. His blue eyes were so intense she thought that they would burn a hole through her at any second.

"Why? What would you wish for?" He asked in a deep, soft, voice that made her heart skip. She scanned his face and realized that what she would wish for was actually right in front of her. But that was a silly, unrealistic dream.

"Something I can't have," she finally replied in a sad whisper. She noticed the look in his eyes change, and noticed that he was looking at her lips. She realized that if she didn't leave now, she could get in a sticky situation. "Good night, Jack," she said abruptly as she stood up and ran towards the entrance of her complex.

"Wait!" He said as he stood up, but it was too late. She was already in the warm, safe environment that he would never be able to provide her. He put his arms in his jacket and walked the rest of the way home with his head down and his heart wanting more.

**Review please! :) xo**


	8. Chapter 8

"_Rose. _Come downstairs. Breakfast is served and Caledon has been waiting for you."

"Okay mother. I heard you the last five times," she said the last part under her breath. She finished off the braid in her hair and draped it loosely over her shoulder. She sighed heavily and smoothed down the light sun dress she had on. She didn't get much sleep the night before due to thoughts of Jack running rampant through her mind, so she dusted a little extra powder under her eyes.

"Good morning, Cal," she said lightly as she took a seat across from him at the small table that sat on the balcony. Her eyes scanned over the array of breakfast foods neatly put out by their made, Trudy. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation until her eyes made their way to Cal. His body language and facial expression made it very obvious that he was not in a good mood. She tentatively reached for her coffee and took a small sip before speaking up. "Is everything alright?"

He cleared his throat and poked at the eggs on his plate. "I was hoping you would spend the night with me last night," he said, his eyes never meeting hers. She took advantage of this and rolled her eyes dramatically before reaching for the bowl of fruit that sat in front of her.

"I was tired."

"Well your activities in the slum parts of town were no doubt exhausting." He set his fork down and sat back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest and holding his chin up.

"Oh, you had your pathetic man servant follow me, how typical," Rose said dismissively and popping an apple slice into her mouth.

"You will not behave like that again Rose," Cal said in a stern, low voice. "Its not proper to be in that part of the city with men you don't even know. And leaving the part early like that without notice was rude. Do you understand me?"

She put her fork down and scoffed at him. _Who the hell does he think he is talking to me like that? My father? Isn't he supposed to be my fiancé? _"I'm not a child, Cal, so stop treating me like one. I'm you fiancé."

She watched anxiously as his eyes became dark and his lips began to quiver. She immediately regretted her decision to talk to him so brashly.

"My fiancé…my _fiancé?_" He stood up from his chair, knocking it backwards. "Yes you are, and my _wife!_" He took hold of the small table and swiftly knocked it over in anger, causing all the food and precious china to crash onto the floor. He took one large step towards her and trapped her between his strong arms, hovering over her menacingly. "You're my wife in practice if not yet by law, so you _will _honor me. You will honor me the way a wife is required to honor a husband. Because I will not be made out a fool, Rose. Is this in anyway unclear?"

Rose looked up at him through vulnerable, frightened eyes filled with tears. She trembled in her chair and awkwardly shook her head. "No."

"Good. Excuse me."

Once he was inside the apartment, she let out a sigh of relief that she had gotten away without a bruise. His temper was usually much worse than that. She was brought back to reality by Trudy walking out onto the balcony and bending down to pick up the china.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Trudy!" She said in a shaking voice as she crouched down on the ground to help her with the mess.

"Its alright hun," Trudy said as she took a broken glass from Rose's hand.

"It was an accident, I swear-"

"Its alright, Rose."

Trudy looked at Rose sympathetically and softly stroked her arm, letting her know that she completely understood. Rose let out a soft sob and collapsed onto the floor, putting her hand to her chest in an attempt to slow her racing heart. She glanced through the glass doors and saw her mother standing with her arms crossed, looking at Rose through disapproving eyes. Ruth shook her head before turning on her heel and walking away.

….

"You don't understand," Jack said as he buttoned his shirt up. "This isn't just some girl I have a crush on. Its much more than that, _so _much more."

Fabrizio looked at him skeptically and shook his head. "I think you're being stupid, if I'm honest. She's not in our league, she's not used to our kind of lifestyle. It just wouldn't work out, don't waste your time over it."

Jack sighed and finished putting his uniform on. His full time job was serving at a restaurant down the street. It was his rent and food money, and the extra change he got from his drawings was his spending money.

"Maybe I'd agree with you if she didn't seem interested," Jack said, "but she looks at me the same way I look at her. And we bonded last night, and I swear she wanted to kiss me."

Fabrizio let out a small laugh. "_She _wanted to kiss _you? _Now I really know you're crazy. Ow!" He yelled when Jack smacked him on the head.

"I'm gonna get that girl," he said matter of factly. "I have a short shift today, so I'm going to get her right after. If I come back rejected, then you have bragging rights," he said as he opened the front door.

….

Jack walked quickly down the streets of New York, watching the scenery change the closer he got to Rose's side of town. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, or even what he was going to say. _Hey Rose, remember me? Yeah, I'm kinda falling in love with you._

He walked through the golden doors of her building with his hands nervously in his pockets. He walked into the elevator along with two other women. He felt their eyes on him, and looked to see them staring disapprovingly at him. Sure, his black work pants had a couple food stains on them and his white button up shirt was a bit wrinkled, but at least he wasn't wearing his torn up jeans and old t-shirt. He chuckled to himself when they turned away from him and clutched their expensive purses to their sides.

Once he was in front of Rose's door, he froze, mid knock. What if she rejected him? What if he was reading all of her signals wrong? What if _he _was there?

He shook his head to clean his thoughts, took a deep breath, and gave a firm knock on the door. He stepped back and said a silent prayer as the door unlocked, but it wasn't who he was hoping to see.

"What on earth are _you _doing here?" Ruth said with a sneer and squinted eyes. "Didn't you get enough fun kidnapping my daughter last night?"

Jack chuckled lightly and shifted on his feet. "Well ma'am, I hardly kidnapped her."

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I just need to see Rose," he said with a casual shrug. There was really no other way to put it.

"Absolutely not. Goodbye."

"Wait," he said as he held open the door she was attempting to close. "Please, I just need to speak to Rose for one second, alright?"

"No."

"Please!"

"What is it you want? If I give you money will you leave her alone?" She asked as she reached for her purse.

"What? No! I don't want your money, please-"

He watched as she picked up her cell phone and dialed a single digit and spoke authoritatively into the phone. "Yes, this is Ruth Dewitt Bukater on the tenth floor. I need security immediately. There is a young man here who obviously does not belong here, and I need him removed. Thank you!"

"Whatever lady," he said as he turned away. "I'm leavin', alright?"

"Good," she said with a satisfied smile as she closed to door in his face. He huffed and shoved his hands back into his pockets, walking towards the exact elevator he just came out of. He pushed the button and waited impatiently.

While he was waiting, he heard the door open again, and smiled in spite of himself when he saw that it was Rose rounding the corner.

"Jack," she said as she walked towards him.

"Rose! I was just trying to see you and-"

"Jack, listen. This is impossible, alright? I can't see you." She turned around as quickly as she could and attempted to walk away, but he put his hand gently on her arm and pulled her back.

"Wait, I need to talk to you." He tried to put his hands lovingly in her red curls but she pushed him away and leaned against the wall.

"No Jack. I'm engaged, alright? And this relationship is getting inappropriate. I'm marrying Cal. I love Cal."

He raised an eye brow at her and gave her a soft smile. He knew it wasn't true.

"Rose, you're no picnic, alright? You're a spoiled little rich girl, even. But under that, you're the most amazingly, astounding, wonderful girl, well, woman that I've ever known. And I just need to tell you that I-"

"Jack please-"

"No, just let me try and get this out. You're amazing, and…look, I'm not stupid. I'm living off of measly paychecks, I live in Brooklyn, I'm a wonderer, I have nothing to offer you and nothing that you're accustomed to and I know that. But I'm too involved now. There are too many feelings now. You jump, I jump remember? If you really don't want to see me, then I can't walk away without at least knowing that you'll be alright."

He watched anxiously as her usually vibrant green eyes became dark and tears filled them. She looked away briefly to wipe a tear away.

"Well I'm fine. I'll be fine. Really."

"Really?" He asked skeptically. "No, I don't think so. They've got you trapped Rose. And you're gonna die if you don't break free. Maybe not right away because you're strong," he added the last part quickly as he saw a few more tears fall. He took a step towards her, the closest he had ever been to her, and put his warm hand on her delicate cheek. "But sooner or later that fire that I love about you, Rose, that fire is gonna burn out."

"Its not up to you to save me, Jack," she said, trying to ignore how the very touch of his hand on her was making her knees weak.

"You're right," he said simply. "Only you can do that."

A thick silence fell between them, and he inched closer to her. They were so close that they could both feel the other's breath against their lips. For a split second, Jack thought she was actually going to let him kiss her. Until he felt her hand on his chest pushing him away.

"I'm going back," she said. "Leave me alone."

She broke away from him and ran back down the hallway. He stood, motionless, with one hand still resting on the wall. He sighed in defeat when he heard the door shut. He was in such a trance that he didn't hear the elevator open and someone step out.

"I assume you're who I'm looking for."

Jack turned around to see a large man in a security uniform standing in front of him.

"Yeah yeah, I'm goin' I'm goin'."

**xo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Its been like 23597584 million years since I updated this story, so I suggest scanning over the past chapter to remind yourself of what's going on :)**

"Well I would have preferred a deep red color," Ruth said with her nose in the air, "but Rose decided she wanted Lavender. She knows I detest the color, so she did it to spite me!"

Rose rolled her eyes and grunted as she sat with her mother and two other women having tea. Except it was like Rose wasn't even there. Her mother talked about her like she wasn't there and the other women paid absolutely no attention to her. And this was what it was always like. She let herself zone out and her vision got blurry. The conversation she just had with Jack began to run through her head. She didn't want to turn him away, she actually wanted to do the exact opposite ; to throw herself into his arms and tell him that she was falling in love with him. But that was just a dream, a dream that she could never have. This was the life she was born into, and she would just have to come to accept it, no matter how miserable she was.

"Um, excuse me, I'm just going to run to the rest room for a moment," Rose said as she got up from her chair. It didn't surprise her even a little when she noticed that none of the women even glanced at her. She trudged her way up the stairs, with absolutely no intention of coming back down. She flopped onto her bed and let out a long sigh. She had a pain in her heart that she knew was from turning Jack away. He was so beautiful, so kind, and smart and funny, and she knew that he was everything she had ever wanted. She shut her eyes tightly to keep the tears from escaping. _What if I never see him again?_ She thought.

"Darling?" She heard Cal's voice as he stepped into her room.

"Cal?" She asked, sitting up. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier," he said in a low voice as he sat next to her on her bed. These words stunned Rose because she had never heard him once ever apologize or admit wrong doing at all.

"Really?" She said, unable to hide her surprise.

"Well yes," he said slowly, "for snapping at you like that. It wasn't right. But…" he began. She knew there was going to be a But. "I want to make sure that we have an understanding," he said sternly. "You are to behave properly from here on out. No more seeing that boy and no more spending time with, well, anyone," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"You are mine, Rose, and I don't think you understand that," he said, trying to control his anger. Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she was on the verge of tears. "From here on out, you are to report to both me and your mother where you are going and who you are with, is that clear?"

"My mother agreed to this?" She asked.

"Well yes, you've been extremely out of hand lately, and I frankly don't trust you. And on another note," he said nervously, cracking his knuckles, "I don't want anymore of this virgin nonsense. We are barely over a month away from being married and this little act you're putting up is getting old. When I request you to spend the night with me, you will do so. Understood?"

Rose had literally had enough at this point, and couldn't help but let out a loud chuckle.

"What could possibly be funny?" Cal asked.

"How dare you," she said bravely, catching Cal by surprise. "How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do. You do not control me!"

"Well someone has to!" He screamed, standing up. "The way you act and think is so improper!"

"Leave this instant!" She screamed, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She was literally about to rip her hair out she was so angry. Who did he think he was? Was she not worthy of thinking her own thoughts?

"Rose, please just listen – "

"No! I need to be alone," she insisted. "Please."

….

Jack put his key in the lock and slowly opened the door. His eyes stayed downcast as he walked to his room and threw his jacket on the bed. He sat down on the edge of it and put his head in his hands. He was so sure that she was feeling everything that he was. He was always so good at reading people and he swore he could see it in her eyes and the way she touched him. But he concluded that it was all in his imagination.

"Hey," Fabrizio said, stepping into his room. "Is everything alright?" He asked, although already knowing the answer. Jack simply shook his head without making any eye contact.

"Why would she want anything to do with me anyway?" He asked softly. "She probably thinks I'm such a low life."

"Jack, don't say that," Fabrizio said genuinely.

"Its true, Fabrizio. I should've known that the minute I fall completely head over heels for a girl she's completely out of my league. I can't give her anything her fiancé can."

"Its her loss, Jack," Fabrizio said. "And it wasn't all in your head. I saw the way she looked at you and her body language towards you the other night. She has feelings for you, I know it. But if she wants to stay with that prick, you're gonna have to move on," he said patting him on the shoulder.

"Right," Jack said, standing up. "I'm going for a walk. See ya later."

….

Rose was running full speed down the busy streets of New York. It was now nearing five o'clock in the evening and the sun was starting to get low in the sky. She knew exactly where she was going, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She needed to see Jack and needed to tell him how she felt. She wanted out of her life and out of all of her misery. She wanted to start a new life as a new person, no matter how hard it was. And she wanted to start it with him.

She hadn't yet been to his apartment, so Rose could only hope that he was at the same bridge that they had first met. And sure enough, there he was. She slowed herself to a walk to catch her breath and took in the site of him. He was still in his work clothes ; black pants and white button up shirt. She noticed that the sleeves were rolled up and the top buttons were undone, showing a little bit of his chest. He looked absolutely beautiful and her love for him only grew bigger by the second. But she also noticed the sad, distanced look in his eyes. His forearms were on the railing of the bridge and he was looking down at the water, deep in thought. She hated to interrupt his thoughts, but she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Hello Jack."

He whipped his head around at the sound, and almost couldn't believe his eyes. He tried to suppress his smile, but it crept up on his face regardless, causing her to crack a smile as well.

"I thought you might be here," she said as she cautiously stepped forward. His eyes became bright and he held his hand out to her.

"Give me your hand," he said gently.

She smiled in anticipation and closed the remaining distance between them before slipping her hand into his. He gently tugged on her hand and brought her closer, so that their fronts were slightly touching. He smiled down at her and brushed a stray curl from her eyes.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said in a whisper. She found it hard to breath with his crystal blue eyes staring so intensely into her own. "I was just confused by how I was feeling and – "

"How _are _you feeling?" He asked.

"Like I never have before," she said honestly. "You're everything I've ever dreamed of. And I don't care how difficult it will be to adjust to a new life style. I can't live this life anymore. And I know that if I live my life without you, that I'll go on to regret it forever," she finished, her cheeks red with shyness.

"That's what I was hoping you would say," he said with a smile. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before as he slowly lowered his head, bring his lips closer to hers. He was giving her time to know what he was doing, and to back away if she wasn't comfortable. But much to his delight and surprise, she eagerly closed the space between them, finally bringing their lips together. They kissed passionately, with Jack holding onto her waist tightly and Rose's right hand tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. They didn't care who was around or that it wasn't even dark yet, all they cared about was each other and how perfectly their lips molded together.

When they finally broke apart, they simply stared at each other in amazement before both cracking into smiles.

"Wow," Rose said under her breath, unconsciously licking her lips. She had never in her life had a kiss like that before. Jack simply smiled at her and gave her a quick peck.

"Wanna go hang out at my place?" He asked. "Its getting chilly and I don't think you want to go back home."

"Yes," she said eagerly, "I'd love to."

**Sorry there was no "I'm flying!" scene, its kind of difficult to make one without the ship. Anywho review please.**


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